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Restoring the Dignity of Work

A new article is out by the City Journal, which delves deeply into the decades old “War on Work” in America. It’s a lengthy article, but well worth the read. In summation, the article identifies the most insidious culprits that have led to a perpetual decline in employment, especially among men in our society. The causes which stand out the most are the rise of social welfare programs which punish people for earning an extra dollar, occupational licensing and other regulations that make it hard to start and grow a business, and finally, the gap between available job openings and the lack of skilled workers to fill them.

While the unemployment rate appears low today, an astonishing 15 percent of males between 25-54 years old are out of the workforce. Many of these males are no longer counted as unemployed because they have given up on seeking a job at all.

This permanent joblessness has dire consequences for our society and will inevitably lead to deeper cultural issues if not corrected. Because of these ramifications, it is imperative that we identify the policies that have led to this crisis, and rectify them with pro-work reforms. We need to restore the dignity that comes with work, and as the article shows, we better start right now.